Princess's Past
by Tawnystar of Hiddenclan
Summary: We all know the tale of Rusty and how he became Firestar. But what's Princess's story? What happened before she met Fireheart in the woods? This vivid tale shows how even kittypets have some adventures! (I do NOT own Warriors, and this cover image is from Warriors Wiki)
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, Nutmeg! Have the kits opened their eyes?" The voice sounded faint, but it grew stronger. The little she-kit forced herself to listen.

"Not yet, Jake." The answer came in a soft purr. "Emerald has been trying for quite some time, but her eyelids are refusing to obey. Personally, I think Princess will be the first."

That was her name! The she-kit recognized it from her mother's murmurs every night. She promised that they were safe, and she's look after them always. She said their names while nuzzling them!

Forcing her eyes to open, Princess saw the world for the first time. It seemed fuzzy and wet, but blinking made it sharp and clear. "Mama." She mewed. "Mama."

Nutmeg gasped. "Princess! You did it!"

"Look! Rusty is opening his eyes, too!" A ginger cat exclaimed.

"Emerald, Oak, and Autumn won't be far behind!" The brown tabby, Nutmeg, proclaimed. "I hope they all make it through the cold season ok. It won't be long now before new twolegs choose them. Will they be happy?"

"You were. And I was. Everyone is given new housefolk as kits. But you have good housefolk. They won't let cruel twolegs take them, only kind ones." The ginger tom mewed softly.

"You're right." Nutmeg sighed. "Rusty, Princess, this is your father Jake."

"Hi, Jake!" Rusty squeaked.

"Hi!" Princess echoed. She felt odd, laying in a nest of soft blankets.

"Would you like me to show you the den and the garden?" Jake asked softly,mad if guessing her discomfort. "You'll feel better when you've run around a bit."

"Oh, yes! I want to see where we live!" Princess squeaked, instantly energized.

"Where do you live?" Rusty asked curiously. "In here, with us?"

"No, Rusty. I live in another den. Perhaps one day, when you are older, I can take you there. But you are too little now. Besides, if you explore everything now, you'll have nothing to do tomorrow!" The tom purred, amused.

Leading the way, Jake hopped away from the basket of blankets and onto a soft, colorful stone. "This is where you'll sleep every night, until you're old enough to have dens of your own." He answered the unspoken question.

Princess watched Rusty scramble out of the basket, leaping onto the soft stone as if he had been born for it. The she-kit followed more carefully. "Look, there are little animals in the water!" She exclaimed as Jake led them to a strange thing sticking out of the wall. The water was full of blue stones, and golden fish swam to-and-fro in the crystal-clear water.

"Those are called fish." Her father explained. "The twolegs keep them as pets. Don't dab at them, or the twolegs will be very angry."

"Why? Surely fish are prey!" Rusty exclaimed, as if the urge to hunt had already sparked within his heart.

"No! We do not eat prey, Rusty. We eat only pellets. Prey is for the wild cats, but we have better lives than them." Jake exclaimed. "Do not hunt prey."

"What is the red wall?" Princess asked in awe. A bright red rectangle stood out on the pale green wall.

"That is called a door. The little flap at the bottom is how we go outside, and the twolegs push the whole door open to go outside. They are strong." Jake meowed, walking towards it. He slipped through a little cream-colored flap quite easily.

Unsure how to follow, Princess prodded the door. It flew open, and she almost believed that she had pushed it all the way! Then, she saw her father with one corner in his mouth. Amusement shone in his eyes.

Princess began to pad out through the opening, but Rusty was faster. He shoved past her, racing across the stone path until he reached a wall of wood. "What is behind the wall?" He mewed breathlessly, while Princess was still standing by the door.

"The thunderpath is right beyond." Jake admitted. "It is loud and smelly. But beyond that is the forest, where wild cats live. It is a dangerous place, so do not go beyond the fence." His tone was serious, for the first time.

"These smell nice!" Princess squeaked, staying away from the fence. Next to the door, two tall bushes with dark leaves and pink flowers stood. She shoved her way into one, hoping to breathe in the scent even more.

"Princess, get out of there!" Her father hissed, sounding worried.

"Why?" But the she-kit was only answered by thorns prodding her like claws. "Ouch! Get me out!" She cried, struggling. It seemed the bush went on forever and yet the rest of the garden smelled so close!

Strong teeth closed around her scruff and yanked her out of the flowering bush. Falling onto warm stone, Princess looked up to see her ginger father staring down at her. "Ouch." She repeated, confused.

"That is called a rose bush. They are pretty, but they have sharp thorns. It is time to go back inside, so that you can rest." Jake mewed kindly. The two kits followed him inside, paws itching to explore more.

Cold air blasted Princess's face as she stepped through the flap. Hurrying over to the basket for warmth, she noticed that Nutmeg appeared worried.

**Hello! I don't own warriors. As you probably knew. And the action will come soon! This was just to get you introduced to all the characters.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Emerald and Oak have opened their eyes, but Autumn has not. What if she never does?" She whimpered, nuzzling her mate.

"She'll be fine. Lots of kits take a day or two longer than their siblings. She's strong and brave." Jake murmured. Straightening up, he turned to the other kits. "Emerald! Oak! I'm your father, Jake, and this is Rusty and Princess."

Emerald was pretty and small, with snow-white fur and vivid green eyes. Oak was plainer, with light brown tabby fur and darker green eyes. The fur on the back of his ears was darker than the rest of his tabby pelt.

"Hello!" Oak mewed. "Have you been outside? Nutmeg says that Jake will take us out tomorrow!"

"Yes, we were just out there." Princess exclaimed. "The fresh air feels so nice! But stay away from the pink-flowered bushes!"

"Let's play a game!" Emerald sqealed.

"Like what?" Rusty snorted.

"Why don't you kits play wild-cat?" Jake suggested. "There's some mouse toys I can get from the other side of the den. I'll hide them and you see who finds them first!"

As the kits sqealed in agreement, and Jake went off to find the mice, Princess found herself wondering about her father's words before. Until you are old enough to have dens of your own. What did that mean?

"All right! I hid the mice! When you find one, sneak up at it and pounce!" Jake's words shook Princess from her thoughts.

Rusty set off first, following Jake's scent trail. Emerald raced past him, finding a red mouse next to the little fish. Oak sniffed under the soft rock and pulled out a blue mouse- but three were left! Princess checked near the red door, but there were none there. She glanced around all the smaller soft stones, but the mice weren't there!

"Found one!" Rusty called loudly. He was holding a bright yellow mouse between his teeth.

In the corner of her eye, Princess spotted something green. Turning, she spotted the green mouse hidden in the folds of the blankets themselves! Snatching it from the hiding place, she meowed triumphantly.

"Where's the white one?" Nutmeg asked softly. In answer, Rusty pulled it out of the shadows.

"I got two! I'm the winner!" Rusty sqealed. "I'm the best hunter!"

"Good job. Now, kits, Jake has to go home for today. It's your bedtime." Nutmeg purred. The kits dutifully crawled into the soft basket.


	3. Chapter 3

"Look, Oak, the baby sparrows are trying to fly!" Princess exclaimed. Rusty was sitting on the fence, staring at the forest. Emerald was still sleeping, and Autumn was not old enough to come out. But Oak was with Princess, exploring the garden again.

"Want to catch one?" Rusty suggested, speaking for the first time that day.

"Goodness gracious, no!" Princess exclaimed, shocked. "They're kits, just like us! Don't you want to watch them fly one day?"

"Couldn't be bothered." Oak mewed to Rusty. "I drank a lot of cream this morning. It's much better than milk, and I'm full."

Rusty purred loudly. "I love cream! I drank some before I came outside. Say, do you want to explore?"

"We are exploring." Princess pointed out. "We're exploring the garden."

"No, I meant the other twoleg dens!" Rusty challenged. "I've scented other cats. Maybe they'll be our freinds."

"I'll come." Oak offered. He never really thought for himself, instead joining whatever the other kits decided to do. But he certainly was friendly!

"Fine, I'll come. But only to make sure you two don't get into trouble." Princess cautioned. "After all, we don't know if the cats are nice."

As the trio slunk along the fence, they neared another twoleg den. This one was pale blue. "Hello? Is anyone there?" Oak called.

"Shh!" Rusty hissed. "Look, there's another cat!"

A plump black and white cat was lounging in the shade of a holly bush. At the sound of voices, it looked up, yellow eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Who's there?" He called.

"I'm Princess, and these are my brothers. Oak and Rusty." Princess explained, hopping down from the fence. "Rusty!" The ginger tom had drifted off, staring at the forest dreamily.

"Sorry, Princess!" He mumbled, turning away from the forest. "What's your name?"

"I'm Smudge. Nice to meet you." The black and white cat mewed happily.


	4. Chapter 4

**Stuffed Watermelon, thanks!**

**Greyfeather of Riverclan, I haven't decided that yet... But I think I have an idea! I'm looking forward to it too!**

"Hey, Smudge!" Rusty called. He and the plump tom had become good friends since they had met three sunrises ago. "Our twolegs gave us some cream! You want some?"

Smudge was there almost instantly, scrambling over the fence in excitement. "Really? My twolegs _never _give me cream!" He lapped it up eagerly, savoring the flavors on his tongue.

"What are we going to do today?" Princess asked from her position under the willow tree. "I'm tired of playing wild cat. Rusty wins every time!"

Both Rusty and Smudge looked faintly surprised as they turned to see Princess- they must not have noticed the tabby! Tail twitching in satisfaction, she waited for a reply. Smudge swallowed, licking his lips, and began to speak. He looked a bit nervous.

"Well, um, I thought I'd introduce you guys to my brothers. They always have interesting stories to tell." The tom's eyes were wide, as if he regretted speaking at all.

"Sounds fun." Rusty meowed. "Have they ever been into the forest?" Inwardly, Princess groaned. Her brother always asked about the forest! He was too little to go in there himself, but the little tom always stared into the darkness as if he might see something, but it was always just leaves moving with the wind.

Smudge shook his head. "Not yet! Dusty says he's going to next full moon. At _night. _It must be scary out there in the dark!"

Privately, Princess thought that Rusty would love the chance to explore the woods, no matter what time of day. "Well, let's go meet them." She changed the subject, just as Rusty opened his mouth to speak.

Smudge took one last longing look at the bowl of cream before scrambling onto the fence. "Dusty! Diablo!" He yowled. The flap in Smudge's door was pushed aside as a dark figure stepped out. Another tom jumped out of a different garden, gracefully racing on the top of the fence until he reached Princess, Rusty, and Smudge.

"These are the friends you mentioned?" The fence-cat meowed, studying them. "You didn't mention... Never mind. I'm Diablo, by the way." He introduced himself.

Princess suddenly felt very shy as she looked the toms over. One, Dusty, was short, dark grey, and muscular. The other, Diablo, was tall, thin, and had a dappled pale grey coat. Their amber eyes gleamed with interest.

"Hello, I'm Princess. This is my brother, Rusty." She mewed somehow.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hello." Dusty mewed after a short pause. "Smudge told us all about you."

"So, er, I thought maybe you could tell my friends some stories. Like the one about the wolf-dog." Smudge finally mewed.

"Sure! We love telling that story." Diablo meowed calmly. "There was this dog in some twoleg's yard. It's bark sounded terribly fierce, and the cats who saw it said it was as big as a lion! They said it had red eyes, and wild black fur, and teeth the size of a cat's head! Dusty and I were out hunting one night, and we got a little lost."

"We wandered right into it's garden!" Dusty put in. "When we heard it barking we were terrified. It had us backed against the fence, but there was no place to jump. It reached it's big head forward to grab Diablo, but he hissed at it. The dog looked so scared! It ran back to it's twolegs without so much as a scratch." The tom sounded quite proud.

"Wow! You're so brave!" Princess exclaimed. "This one time, Rusty and I..." The cats all swapped stories until the sun was high in the sky.

"We'd better get back." Rusty meowed suddenly. "Our twolegs will be getting worried, and Nutmeg too." Princess felt strangely reluctant to follow her brother, but she knew there wasn't anything else to do.

"Tonight, let's go find a dog! Everyone will be so impressed!" Rusty told Princess as soon as Smudge was out of sight.

"I don't know..." She trailed off, unsure what to say. Surely it was dangerous? But wouldn't it impress Diablo and Dusty? Was the glory worth the risk? "Ok..." She said at last.


	6. Chapter 6

**If you would like to submit a kittypet/rogue for this story, or a clan cat to be in a different story, you may.**

"We need to find a big dog!" Rusty exclaimed.

"There's a yappy terrier a few nests down. I can hear it from here." Princess suggested, doubt in her voice.

"A _yappy terrier?_ I'm looking for a monster dog!" Rusty protested. "I don't want to brag about scaring a _pup_ barely bigger than me!"

It was the middle of the night, and Rusty and Princess were far from home. They had snuck out just after dusk, searching for the 'monster dog', but Princess was beginning to doubt that her brother would ever see sense. He wouldn't settle for a dog that it was possible to defeat.

"Let's go back." She urged Rusty. "We'll never make it back by sunrise if we keep going. Nutmeg will be frantic!"

"She'll be proud if I scare off a dog! She'll just be angry if I go back now!" Rusty hissed, tail twitching irritably.

"We should've asked Diablo or Dusty to come with us, anyways. They won't get lost, and they know how to defeat dogs." Princess urged once more. "They'd be a great help. We could go back, and take them with us tomorrow night."

"No! This is for us! Don't you understand? They'd take all the glory!" Rusty spat. "There must be a big dog somewhere."

"No, Rusty, we need to go back! A big dog would _eat_ kits like us! You'll get hurt!" Princess wailed. Why wasn't her brother understanding the danger? Did he think that every big dog was afraid, like the wolf-dog in the story?

"I hear a big one!" Rusty hissed. He looked terrified, but stubborn. "It's in that garden, right there. Let's go!" The ginger tom clawed his way to the top of the fence with ease, before toppling into the garden as she dog pounded on the fence.

"Rusty!" Princess wailed, diving after her brother. As the dog came out from the shadows, she squeaked in fear. It was large and grey, and very thin in the stomach. But it was well-muscled and had gleaming claws.

"Princess! Get out of there!" A welcome voice hissed, shoving the she-kit towards the fence. Dusty had found them! He leapt at the dog, clawing it's muzzle, as Princess climbed up the fence.

Suddenly, two twolegs rushed out of the den. One of them grabbed the dog by a shiny red thing on it's neck. The other used a sort of cobweb-on-a-stick to grab Rusty.

"Rusty!" Princess shrieked.

"We can't rescue him. The twolegs are too strong." Dusty sighed.

"It's ok, Princess! I'll find you one day!" Rusty yowled. "Tell Nutmeg I'm ok!"


	7. Chapter 7

"Rusty!" Princess wailed. "You can't just let them take him away! Do something!" She snarled to Dusty.

"The twolegs are too strong." Dusty repeated. "He shouldn't have been here anyways. There's nothing we can do."

How can he be saying that? It's my brother they caught! If it were Smudge or Diablo out there, he wouldn't be retreating.

The tabby tried to leap after her brother, but Dusty grabbed her by the collar and dragged her back. "Let me _go!"_ She snarled, trying to break loose. Dusty was too strong! Finally, the she-cat went limp and followed Smudge's brother along the fence, too exhausted to complain. Her brother had been carried away by twolegs.

••••••••••••••••••

"It wasn't your fault, my Princess." Jake murmured, as Nutmeg groomed the tabby. "Rusty shouldn't have gone after that dog. The twolegs will find him a nice home. One day, maybe, you'll meet him again, and he'll have _amazing_ tales to tell."

It had been two sunrises since Rusty's disappearance, and Princess knew that it was her fault. Rusty was gone forever because of her.

"But it was my fault! I could've told him not to go." Princess wailed. Next to her, Autumn twitched in her sleep. "Sorry, Autumn." Princess whispered.

The she-kit had never opened her eyes for more than a few seconds. Autumn spent most of the time sleeping. Nutmeg said that she was just too little, but that was a lie. Even Princess could tell that Autumn was sick.

"You're old enough that twolegs will be finding new homes for you, anyways." Nutmeg explained softly. "You'll live with different housefolk, not far from here. Rusty was only a little early."

"I don't want them to take me away." Princess gasped. "This is my home!"

"Don't worry, you won't be far away. I promise I'll visit you." Nutmeg purred, still grooming her daughter. "In fact, it looks like some twolegs are coming now!" She glanced at the opening door. A few strange twolegs were walking over of the kittens.

"Now, just be sweet and purr at them." Jake instructed. Princess only stared at them, pleading for them to let her stay. But the youngest one let out a cry and scooped her up. Princess stared desperately at her purring parents, as the twolegs carried her away.

**To all those who submitted characters, thanks! I'll be sure to use those.**

**And yes, that is what Dusty/Diablo started to say!**


	8. Chapter 8

Princess perked up at the sound of rattling food. It had been half a moon since the twolegs had taken her away, and they had been very kind. She was grateful that they loved her, but her family was gone!

Shaking her head, the tabby hurried over to her food dish. The pellets were dry and flavorless- stale. But she forced down quite a few mouthfuls, hoping that they would fill the emptiness inside of her. They did not.

Slipping through the door flap, Princess breathed in the scents of the garden. There were more rose bushes here than at her old home, but there were also bushes with white flowers that provided nice shade. She hadn't left this garden and twoleg den since she'd been brought there.

"Maybe I'll explore a little." She mused. "Perhaps Rusty or one of the others live nearby."

"Who? I've never met a 'Rusty' before." A sudden voice made Princess jump. There was a russet-furred tabby she-cat stretched out on the white fence.

"Who are you?" Princess gasped.

"My name's Chestnut. Are you the new kitten the twolegs brought home?" The strange cat asked.

"Yes, I suppose I am. Do you live here? I've never seen you before... Do you know where my brother is?" Princess couldn't help but add a last question. If Rusty had been taken nearby, surely this cat would know where to find him. She could have a family again!

"I live a couple nests down. But I come here sometimes, because it's the best spot to watch the sunrise." Chestnut explained. "Who's your brother?"

"His name's Rusty. He's the brightest ginger cat I've ever seen! Twolegs took him away..." Suddenly, Princess found herself spilling the whole story about the dog attack to her new friend.

"Oh, poor you! I haven't seen him around, but maybe my friends have. Want to come with me? We could ask some of them." Chestnut offered sympathetically. "I'm sure one of them can tell you where he is."

"Would you? Oh, thanks so much! Of course I'll come!" Princess exclaimed. She finally had a chance to find her brother!

"Of course! Anything to help a friend!" Chestnut chuckled.

A few minutes later, Princess was following her new friend through the twolegplace. "Are we almost there?" She asked. What if they got lost? Could she even trust this cat? But thinking of her brother, stolen away by twolegs, stopped her from turning back.

"Yes, it's just up ahead. The red stone den." Chestnut explained.

The red stone den was very large. There was no fence, and a dark hedge surrounded the garden instead. Two grey she-cats were batting at a yellow butterfly. "Minty! Sage!" Chestnut called.

"No, I haven't heard of this 'Rusty' fellow." The one called Sage said after Princess told the whole story. "If I do, I'll send word immediately."

"I haven't heard of him either." Minty exclaimed. "He sounds like a nice cat. I'm sure he'll find you one day!" She's the most talkative cat I've ever met. Princess thought to herself.

"Well, Princess, I guess he's gone. Maybe one day you'll meet again. But for now, stop dwelling in the past. Wherever he is, he's happy. You should be too." Chestnut advised.

"Yes, I'll do that." Princess murmured, thinking about her friend's wise words.


	9. Chapter 9

The next few moons passed in peace. Princess gradually began to forget about Rusty, and enjoy her new life more. But good things never last.

"Hey, Princess!" Chestnut greeted her as the tabby walked outside. "Come and meet my new friend, Speckle! She's really nice."

Princess flicked her ears in agreement and followed her friend. The cream she'd just drinken hadn't filled her belly, but her twolegs didn't know that. Perhaps this 'Speckle' fellow had some good food to share.

Princess winced as Chestnut led her along the fences into an alleyway. It was like a tiny thunderpath. Right on top of a big green dirt-den was a cat. Dirt-dens were where twolegs threw their stinky things, so they always smelled terrible.

"Why don't we go around? This place doesn't look safe. Perhaps that cat claimed it as her territory." Princess suggested, suddenly very apprehensive.

"Nonsense! This is Speckle." Chestnut explained, leaping up onto the dirt-den. "Speckle, this is Princess."

Princess stared for a moment. This was Speckle? She'd expected another soft-furred kittypet. Instead, she found herself face-to face with a thin and gaunt grey she-cat. Many old scars lined this cat's fur, and startling yellow eyes stared back at Princess in cold amusement.

"Hello, Princess. Chestnut has told me all about you." Speckle mewed at last. In her cool, calculating tone, those harmless words sounded like a threat.

"Hello, Speckle. Chestnut hasn't told me anything about you." Princess mewed back, pleased to see a flicker of discomfort and surprise flit across this rogue's face.

"Speckle lives with a group of cats not far from here." Chestnut explained uncomfortably. "They find their own food on the side of thunderpaths! Can you imagine! Puts our own lives into perspective, wouldn't you say?"

Princess nodded her agreement, but a growl was rising in her throat. How could Chestnut be comfortable around bloodthirsty rogues? Something told her that Speckle could not be trusted. "I have to go. It was so nice to meet you." She responded in a honey-like voice.

"See you tonight!" Chestnut exclaimed, shifting her paws nervously. "I hope your housefolk have some cream ready when I get home."

Princess did not respond, bounding away quickly. She felt that Speckle was not going to leave her alone. This cat was bad news, and Chestnut was in the middle of it.


	10. Chapter 10

"Leave me alone!" A cat was snarling. Princess could scent fresh blood, but the strongest scent was that of Speckle.

"You shouldn't be on my territory, then, kittypet." Speckle sounded as if she was enjoying this cat's suffering.

"Leave him alone, Speckle." She warned, walking around the corner. A thin dappled tom was surrounded by a ring of cats, Speckle one of them. The tom's short, ruffled grey fur was dripping blood, but his amber eyes glowed in defiance.

"Why should I? This alleyway is mine, and I can do what I want with trespassers." Speckle said darkly. "Besides, he accepts food from twolegs, and he's fought my freinds before. One of them died at his claws. A weakling, yes, but I will have my revenge."

"He attacked me! And the dog finished him off!" The injured cat protested, dodging a swipe from a ginger tom.

Something about this cat's voice made Princess jump. She'd heard that voice before. He did not seem like a true kittypet, so Chestnut wouldn't have introduced them; however, Chestnut's friends seemed to include all sorts of sharp-tongued rogues these days.

As Speckle prepared to leap at the tom, Princess slipped over until she was right beside the she-cat. Speckle bristled and growled, but did not move apart from a twitch of her tail. At this slight signal, the ginger tom leapt at Princess, pinning her down.

"Help!" Princess screeched. She'd never learned how to fight- why would she have?- and this cat was obviously experienced in battle. I'm going to die.

As soon as Princess screamed, something flashed in the other, injured cat's eyes. Recognition, perhaps? He leapt at the ginger tom, snarling in fury. "Leave her alone!"

The ginger tom, startled by this sudden attack, was knocked off balance. Princess managed to twist out from under him, nipping the tom's stomach. The gray tom, who had saved her, slashed at Speckle's muzzle.

"Run!" He hissed, shoving Princess out of the alley. There was no time to argue as Speckle and her freinds chased after them.

"Which way?" She panted, knowing that at any moment thorn-sharp claws would dig into her flesh.

"Follow me!" The loner dove down a hole in the thunderpath. Princess followed, quickly but reluctantly. It was a long, dark tunnel, and foul-scented slime was swirling around her paws.

"This place smells like crow-food!" She hissed in disgust. "What if they follow us?"

"Scent trails never last down here. Besides, Speckle's minions may enjoy killing, but they've never liked getting there paws wet." The tom purred in amusement. "It's been a long time since I've seen you, but you haven't changed a bit."

"What do you mean? Who _are_ you?" Princess gasped. So she did know this cat! Staring at his thin, ragged pelt, Princess suddenly had an answer.

_"Diablo?"_


	11. Chapter 11

That night had passed in a blur. Princess had followed Diablo through the tunnels, hoping she wouldn't get lost. They'd curled up together in Princess's garden and fallen asleep... Safely away from the eyes of Chestnut, who always sided with Speckle in arguments.

It had been a long time since that night. Princess's belly had been getting bigger every day, and Diablo never left her side.

"Your kits will be coming any day now." Minty purred in excitement.

"How many do you think you'll have?" Sage asked, eyes gleaming. "They'll look just like you! I'm sure of it!"

"Well, I hope that at least one of them will look like their father." Princess sighed, with a loving glance at Diablo. "He's quite handsome, and any cat should love to have his looks."

"Well, I don't know about that." Diablo purred. "But I suppose some of them might look a bit like me."

"You should name one of them Xander." Minty squealed. "I'm not sure what it means, but I think it sounds like a good name."

"Perhaps." Princess mewed warily. She didn't want to make any promises. "I'd better be going. My housefolk get worried when I'm gone too long."

"See you around!" Sage and Minty exclaimed at the same time. Princess waved her tail goodbye and began carefully walking along the fence.

Diablo hopped up beside her, scenting the air warily. "I smell blood." He warned.

Princess stiffened. "How fresh?" Blood and Speckle always came together, and the tabby she-cat had no intention of meeting Speckle today.

"Very." Diablo mewed gruffly. "Let's get back as soon as we can. If you're caught in the open..." Neither of them wanted to voice the haunting realization that Princess and her unborn kits were in danger.

Strangely, the closer they got to Princess's den, the stronger the scent of blood. Chestnut was sitting on the fence, licking her paws. A chill ran down Princess's spine.

"Princess, you'll never guess what happened!" Chestnut purred. "I helped Speckle take care of a rogue who tried to steal her food."

"You mean, you killed a cat." Princess stated flatly. There was no question in her tone. The scent of blood was coming from Chestnut's paws.

"Yes, well, he was a threat." Chestnut sounded embarrassed, but not remorseful. "I'm going to join her group. They call it Bloodclan. If Speckle becomes leader of them one day, she says I'll be her deputy."

Chills ran down Princess's spine. "But, Chestnut-"

"No!" Diablo yowled in shock. "No, not _him!"_

Princess's mate was staring at a limp gray body in the trees. The body of Chestnut's 'trespasser'.


	12. Chapter 12

**I normally try to make my chapters be a bit more than a page long. I like that length, however this story's chapters have been getting shorter recently. I would change that, but I've already written all of the chapters.**

**I will be wrapping up in a chapter or two! Thank you all for reading my story, but I have a severe case of writers block for it and very little time to spend typing.**

"How could you kill_ him?_ He lived with twolegs most of the time, and he was no threat!" Diablo screeched. "He was _innocent!_ And you _killed_ him!"

"He was trespassing. If we don't enforce the rules, then everything would fall apart." Chestnut mewed calmly, but doubt was flickering in her eyes. "What could I _do?_ He wanted to eat her food! He had no right!"

"He would never steal food from any cat!" Diablo rounded on the former kittypet. "I'll kill you before I trust any cat again."

"Who was he, anyways?" Chestnut whimpered, giving up hope of looking calm. "What makes this cat so important to you?"

Princess narrowed her eyes and let out a fearsome hiss. "That was Diablo's _brother,_ you pitiful excuse for a cat!" How could her best friend have done this?

She'd seen Dusty only a few times since the night Rusty was taken. Every time, she'd been with Diablo. The toms had their differences, but deep down they had always cared about each other.

Suddenly afraid of Chestnut, Princess swiped out her paw. Sharp claws cut across Chestnut's muzzle, leaving a small scratch. As blood welled up in the wound, Princess stumbled across the thunderpath and into the woods.

In the shade of the pine trees, Princess began to calm down. There were quite a few things to think about. She made a mental list.

_My best friend is joining my worst enemy._

_My mate's brother is dead._

_My mate is probably going to kill my best friend._

_I don't want to stop him._

A golden moth, fluttering around a dandilion, caught Princess's eye. She was trying hard not to think about the disaster going on in her garden, so the kittypet reached up a paw to bat at it hesitantly. The moth darted higher in the air, and Princess gave up the hunt.

Pausing to sniff at a blade of green grass, Princess absorbed the scents of the forest. Being here felt oddly soothing. She was afraid of this unpredictable place, but she knew that Rusty would've given anything to come here. That thought made her calm down.

A sudden crackling noise sent shivers up her spine. Stiffening, the kittypet stared at the dead bracken from which the sound came. A pair of emerald green eyes met hers for a moment, and suddenly she had to run.

Bounding through the trees, Princess was aware that no cat was giving chase. But something about those green eyes haunted her. What made her think about that night she'd gone after the dog, every single time she remembered those eyes?

"Are you alright?" Diablo asked her when she reached the garden.

"Yeah, fine." She managed to reply. There was blood and torn fur under her mate's claws, but a trail of blood-scent led into the alleyways of the twolegplace. Chestnut was gone forever.

"I buried Dusty under the rose bushes on the corner." Diablo mewed distractedly. "He loved sleeping under those bushes. Now, he can sleep there forever."

"He'll be happy now. There's no pain left for him anymore." Princess murmured. Diablo nodded slightly, eyes betraying his pain.


	13. Epilogue

Days seemed to blend into one another after that. The cat with the green eyes came to visit Princess; he introduced himself as Rusty. It had been hard to take in at first, that her brother was happily living among wild cats, but she adjusted.

One day in leaf-bare, her kits were born. There were five of them, three toms and two she-cats. Not long after, Fireheart came and took one away. Her eldest, a handsome white tom. Princess asked him too. She wanted her son to become a wildcat, like Rusty had.

One of the she-cats looked just like Diablo. Her fur was a shade darker, the tabby markings more distinct, but she still had a striking resemblance. Princess named her Kylie, after a friend of Minty and Sage whom had died many seasons ago.

The other she-cat was a pale brown tabby. Her fur was soft and thick, and her eyes were a startling shade of gold. She looked a bit like Autumn, one of Princess's siblings. She was named that in honor of the sick kitten, who had been taken to the vet one day and never brought back.

The toms looked very similar. One was long furred and white- that was the kit Princess had given to Rusty. The second tom had even longer fur, but he was a pale shade of gray. Princess named him Xander, because she wanted to honor the friends whom had never betrayed her. The third tom, the youngest kit in the litter, had patchy, short fur. He was pure white, with the same green eyes as Xander. Princess allowed Diablo to name this kit. He chose the name King.

Over time, Kylie, Autumn, Xander, and King were taken by other twolegs. They grew up happy and well fed. Over time, Princess stopped visiting them, and they stopped visiting her.

Autumn had her first litter of kits at a young age. There were eight of them, but six were too small and died very soon. The other two, a she-cat and a tom, were named Leaf and Patch. They both looked just like Princess, but they had Autumn's eyes.

Princess found Chestnut's body alongside the thunderpath a few moons later. Her body was cold, but it was obvious that she had suffered for a long time before succumbing to her battle wounds. Though she had been a traitor to Princess, and though she had killed Dusty, Princess regretted letting Chestnut leave. Speckle had led the kittypet astray.

When Fireheart- by this time, known as Firestar- warned Princess about Bloodclan, she was terrified. Images of her former friend flashed through her mind, the blood-soaked body resting alongside the thunderpath. But she didn't show her brother this fear, and hid everything she knew about the evil cats from him. She never wanted to remember those times when Speckle haunted every corner.

Eventually, Firestar and his friends moved away. Diablo died of a sickness in the leaf-bare, and Minty and Sage were taken to another den, much farther away. Princess made new friends, but they would never replace the empty space she now felt in her heart.

And finally, one terrible night in newleaf, Princess's eyes closed for the last time. She thought about very cat who had given their life, and let out a faint sigh. Slipping into nothingness, everything became black.

And then Princess opened her eyes. It had been a dream! One long, exhausting dream. She was back in her old den, with Quince and Jake. Autumn was there too, and Oak. Strangely, they all seemed to be different ages.

"This is real." A soft voice purred from behind her. "All the cats you lost are here. Your parents, your brother and sister, Dusty... Chestnut is here as well."

Diablo was standing behind her. He was young and handsome, about the age he'd been when Princess had her kits. She also felt young. Autumn was still a kit, of course, and Oak was about a moon old. The age he'd been when Rusty was taken away. Quince and Jake were older, but still young enough to chase after Autumn's tail as she darted around. Her constant illness had vanished. Everyone was here... Except for Rusty and Cloudtail. They were alive somewhere, somewhere far away.


End file.
